Congressman Smith backs Trump, though with reservations

Congressman Adrian Smith begged off answering the question of who he supported for the Republican presidential nominee previously, electing to let the process play out.

Now that Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee, does Smith back him?

“Short answer: yes. I’ve long said that I would support the Republican nominee. As we look at the presidential election, too, I hope that he can bring our country together,” Smith says.

Smith is critical of statements made by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who has characterized Republicans as her enemy.

Smith acknowledges he has some worries about Trump, especially some of the statements he has made during the campaign. He hopes the recent campaign shakeup will address some of the concerns.

Perhaps more troubling to Smith is Trump’s statements on trade. Trump has been a harsh critic of the Trans Pacific Partnership, an agreement now under review in Congress. Smith is a strong supporter of trade and says he hopes Trump can be persuaded about the advantages of trade, especially for agriculture, even though he doesn’t care for some aspects of specific trade deals.